Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1887-12-13
MR. SMITHS WILL

persons Who possess the knsek of inspH.
ips confidence wi,hou, doing anything 10
wsn.n, L.. Augustus had failed to dis
,insui.h himself during bi. scholastic ca
rser. yet those who knew him believed
in bin almcst as much a. he believed In
himself. lie vas bri.k. ba.tling little
youth. Nth . high fslse,,o voice and .
cons qusnti.l manner lie had worn an
,ysgls,s and high skir,-eolls. iron. an
early age. and =, seven,een be would have
argued theology With IN archbishop or
discussed politics With p,ims minister
whsa the time sni,cd for choosing .
profession, Augustus unhesi,aiinsly de.
cid,d In favor q the bar. lie had no
prediction for the Law. but the esrssr
II a bsnis,sr hsd the ereA, siifse'ion OF
leading 20 the woolssek. Augustus aim
ed high. but his ambi,ion was not on, oi
proportion 10 hi. opinioa Of bis abilities.
lie vas sllursd by the prospect ofb' eom-
Ing Lord chsneellOr and Keeper OF the
q i,ens Coa.eisnee.
Augustus had Inherited from his par
enis . ,m,ll fortune. which he would be
saii,lsd to receive upon attaining twsh'y.
6e. There was no difficulty. therefore.
about raising the premium shieh WAS
reee,sary iosnabie him 10 have the run
Of the chambers Of some sueees,fal ooan-
.el Aecodingly. the aspiring youth
vas oonfdsd to the care of Mr. Rsisinsr.
the celebrated equity dnueh,smsn and
convey sreer. whose pupils. though de.
pressing In a social sen'e. slssy. learned
10 drs~ particularly nsa, plesdins'. aud
TO turn GU, legal instruments calculated to
my.,ify the mos, in,slhsrn, l.ym.A-
Aftsr /. brief experience. Augusta. be.
gan to have dim idea that the goal oi
bis ambition was rather more difheali to
reach than he had anticipated. lie real
ir-d that plodding. hard work. Psrever.
snee, aud oeassls. study ~sfe ,''en'isl
ingredients 20 the success Of bis sehsms.
Now, Ausu.,u. va. ohs of those enter
pfi.ing yoaih.-,hsre are many OF them
sboai-who are In too great hury 10
make . fortune TO be able TO give time
TO homes, drudgery. lie did no, ssae'l,
abandon the hope Of reaching the wool
sack. but h, resolved no, TO iri,isr away
h. abili,is. In striving too much fo' y.
lie ~oald t,cpit in vie" a. soms,hlns
worth eoasnding for. bot he fel, that.
meanwhile, |, would be a. well no, TO
lo.s any opportunity Of advancement Ia
other directions.
Augusta, bad been very much struck
by the fact that. 10 the course Of bu'i.
meas. the private affair. Of agoOd many
people Of wealth and distraction ~ere re-
,sslsd TO him. lie was naturally Of an
inqui.i,i,e di.po.IiiOn. and be r,''llsd IN
the ,uu,p,iiiOas knowledge be acquired
in this manner. Mr. Rr,slnsf bad . large
connection among solicitor. OF old stand.
ins ~ilh rish and sri.,oeis,ie elien'.. and.
according TO custom, bis pupils we're Psr'
mi,,.d to try their 'pr,n,ice hand. In pre-
pariag the rough drafts Of wills. marriage
settlements. abd deeds Of v.riog. kinds.
IL VI. quite ,sn,aliIing 10 Augusta. 70
Be behind the scents. N Il sfi-. and to
observe the .eere, di.posiiiOn of'o many
thousand Of pounds,' ~iihou, Proh'ins
thereby. lie did no, see hi. way. how.
ever. 20 turn bis experiences to seeoun'.
ba, the idea took possession Of him that
In ihi. direction be nigh, ors day make
a discovery which be could utilize to bis
advantage. =,
Mssn~hilc. be gre~ utterly 'isk and
,irtd Of the Law long before the wished
for opportunity arrived. Ba, At length
his dropping spirits were doy What
scented TO be = genuine pro'Psei OF &C.
auiring . fortune. 0ne day ,hefe Was
handed into the pupil. room . paper OF
written ia,true,ions iOr the will of q Mr-
John Smith Of Hilldrop Crssesn'. Camden
To~n. Who wa. represented by = well
known firm of solicitors. NJ. Smith aP-
% .r,a 10 be = gentleman Of considerable
wealth, for he owned whole terraces OF
houses in London. broad acres 10 the
country ard s;oek Exchange Investments
galore. Augustus attention ~r' ~.
u.e,ed by ,wo circumstances. ote Of
which "a. ,ha, this Mr. John Smith wis
a n,ishhor Of bis unele's, With whom be
r,.idsd, ard the other thu, the ,ssis,o'
hsd an only daughter. TO whom be had
b.quea,hed nearly the whole Of bis wealth
From the fact tha, Mr.. John Smith re-
.ided in the uns.uming locality Of Cam
den Tosn /, seemed probable that be wa'
a person Of qsie, tastes aud habits. 'o
whom !, would be easy TO obtain en- IN
PRODUCTION. This doue. though, Angus
tu., nothing would be simpler than TO
insrstis,e himself with the old gentle
man, TO win the Affections OF his daughter
aud TO gain both her hand aud her for
tune.
To tell the Truth this MAS no, the hr'
time th., Augustus had cherished designs
Of marrying hsirsss,s whose prospects h'
he'd lssrn,d in q similar manner Tn
fortunately. in previous cases the ladies
had been " exalted rank aud station
which rendered them unspp'oschable
Disparity of,ta,ion had NO, prs,tn''t
him, kow,ver. from making discrest sd
v.nee,. Like all mO,,lsd.f.csd. .nub
nossd little men. Augustus considered
himself above evsrything . lady killer
Various instances might be recorded o
bis sn,srpri.ips ventures looking toward
profitable mstrimony. but II would b
depressing TO chronicle q series Of diana
failures
In the case Of Miss Smith. howevsr.
no obstacles Of sn insurmountable kind
seemed TO exist. Augustus. With hi'
native ssnguineness. therefore regarded
her fctuns A. practically within BIZ
grasp. ThA, very evening. Ia fact. OF
| his return TO bis unele's house Ia C.mdeu
Town, he commenced TO make di.cree
inquiries about sAe Smith family. No
q word did be breathe Of Mr.. Smiths
fortune, aud be vas the more cautious
because 1t seemed ,ha. the rsten, cf 4
w.s not generally known Bat be Learn
,d sufficient to feel convinced that ih'
old gentleman was . wealthy miser. III
was described ss . tAeiiurn ard fs,ht
eccentric person. Who had rss.d'd msn,
years 10 Hilldrop Crescent With h''